National Negroni Week: Cocktail Making with Susie Drinks!

In honor of National Negroni Week, I asked Susie O from her popular blog Susie Drinks to join me at the bar for some Campari inspired cocktails. She made this incredible watermelon infused gin for a refreshing summer take on the classic Negroni. It’s slightly bitter, a little sweet and super refreshing on hot summer days.

I met Susie several years ago when I was the Entertainment Reporter for the CW affiliate in Dallas, we made cocktails at a bar in Uptown and even then I knew she was passionate about exploring spirits and mixing up new and inventing cocktails. Now it’s a full travel and cocktails site, with some yummy food thrown in (hey, a girl’s gotta eat!) and I love all her boozy knowledge!

Place the watermelon cubes in the gin and place in the fridge. Soak for 4-6 days. Strain the watermelon and place the gin back in your bottle. In a large glass filled with ice, add equal parts of watermelon infused gin (1oz is typical for one cocktail), Campari and sweet Vermouth. You can also add a splash of fresh lime juice (.5oz is plenty). Stir with a spoon or stirring stick for about 30 seconds, then strain into a cocktail glass, with one large ice cube. Garnish with a wedge of watermelon.